Development and Validation of a Self-Report Measure of Existential Well-Being

Research in the field of existential psychotherapy has mainly relied on measures of spiritual well-being and existential quality of life, and has been hindered by the lack of instruments specifically assessing existential distress and wellbeing. Our aim was to develop a valid and reliable instrument to measure this dimension.

First, we created a list comprising more than 200 items that address the main existential themes as described by the philosophical and clinical literature. Out of these, 84 were retained after pilot testing and exclusion of the items that showed unsatisfactory psychometric properties. A total of 411 non-clinical participants with a wide range of age groups and educational levels participated in the validation study with a cross-sectional design and a 4-week follow-up. They completed the new instrument, named the 'Existential Dimension Inventory' (EDIN), along with several criterion measures, such as the 15-item Dispositional Resilience Scale, the 18-item Personal Well-Being Scale, the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire, the 18-item Brief Symptom Inventory, the Maudsley Obsessive–Compulsive Inventory, the Authenticity Scale, and the Temperament and Character Inventory. They also completed the EDIN for a second time after 4 weeks. After performing principal component analysis with orthogonal rotation, we estimated the internal consistency and test-retest stability of EDIN factorially derived scales. Convergent and discriminant validity were assessed by examining the correlations between EDIN total and subscale scores, and scores on the criterion measures.

Eight factors (interpreted as Mastery, Fear of loss and death, Authenticity, Serenity in relationships, Pressure of time, Openness to others, Meaning in life, and Loneliness) that accounted for 53% of the total variance were extracted. All EDIN scales displayed high internal consistency and stability, and the pattern of correlations between EDIN scores and their relevant criterion measures was consistent with expectations. Also, the results supported discriminant validity with respect to emotional distress, psychiatric symptomatology, and temperament and character dimensions.

These findings suggested that the EDIN may allow valid and reliable measurement of existential well-being. Many EDIN subscales cover themes identified by existential philosophers and therapists as key issues that human beings face in their everyday lives, which corroborates the relevance of the dimension of existential wellbeing as measured by the EDIN. Despite some limitations, this study supports the validity and reliability of the EDIN. It suggests that this instrument holds the promise of being a valuable tool for research, clinical, and training purposes.